Tag Archives: Gardening

In a Vase on Monday – Sticks and Hats

I was out in the garden with my greyhound. I was cutting flowers and we were both watching vultures. He was fascinated and even at greyhound speed couldn’t keep up with them. This is the time of year when the big birds are around. Eagles and hawks migrate south for the winter. It is such a pleasure to watch them fly lazy circles in the crystal blue sky. I have a feeling the vultures were manifesting what is landing in our nation’s capital tomorrow.

Well, that has nothing to do with sticks, hats or my vase. A random garden observation with a side of political disgust.

The hat, is China Hat (Holmskiodia sanguinea). This is a winter flowering shrub I enjoy. They remind me of Quince. One of the more indestructible plants in the garden, rarely watered and forgotten until it flowers.

The sticks are dried prunings from wild Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia); pale mauve flowers are Zinnias, supposedly Cactus type. I am not so sure about that, another open pollinated oops – my neighbor calls it getting Grandpa seeds.My quest for Dahlia like flowers continues…

The foliage in the background is Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and some fluffy seedheads of Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris). The vase is a thrift store find.

That’s the story from my garden this Monday. Follow this link RamblingintheGarden to visit Cathy and take a garden tour of vases by following the comments links.

I’ll be watching the birds..

Six on Saturday – Lime in the Coconut

I’m joining the SOSers again this Saturday sharing six items of interest from my garden. Winter brings tropical fruit and flowers to the garden in South Florida. I have been enjoying Rangpur limes for the past couple of weeks. I just noted my new Finger Limes are flowering and bearing fruit! The bees have been busy and the first mango of the year has set fruit. Exciting times.

To see other SOS garden posts, visit Jim at GardenRuminations.

The Australian Finger Lime, also called Caviar Limes, looks like caviar when squeezed out of the rind. These are native to low lying areas in Australia. I am looking forward to trying this. Once again facing the “when is it ripe?” dilemma.

Fruit setting on the Australian Finger Lime.

The weather this week was cool. A good time to do battle with oddly growing tropical fruit trees. I donned my leather gloves and arm covers and pruned the Rangpur limes. See why above. The branches that bear fruit have some serious thorns.

The trunks of the Rangpur lime are smooth and the fragrance is wonderful when pruning. It is a pleasant experience if the thorns on the branches can be avoided. This lime tree has taken a strange shape. I hope I have cleaned it up and made the fruit easier to pick next year.

The first tiny Nam Doc Mai mangoes of the year. I was happy to see the bees at work on the flowers this week. Sometimes it is too windy for the flowers to bee pollinated and you get no mangoes. Interestingly, I have flowers on the opposite side of the tree this year. Last year all the fruit was on one side. 100 days from flower to fruit on mangoes is the mantra. I am not so sure about that!

As the song goes “Put the Lime in the Coconut” here’s the coconut. These are baby coconuts on a tree in my neighbor’s yard.

That’s all from South Florida this Saturday. Happy Garden Dreaming..

In a Vase on Monday – Weeds and Wildflowers

It’s been a chilly, wintry week. By South Florida standards this means temperatures in the 40’s F/4C and covering the tomato plants at night. We have also (gasp!) had the heat on in the house. It was a very good morning to don battle gear and prune my lime tree. After completing this thorny task, I went in search of warm colors for a Monday vase. I was heartened to find wildflowers in bloom. I also found a weed and some obliging perennials.

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The weed in the vase is the Green Shrimp Plant (Ruellia blechum). I like these for their green sculptural oddness. They are considered an invasive plant also a larval host plant for the Green Malachite butterfly. I leave a few around for this reason. However, I have yet to see one of these spectacular green butterflies.

Wildflowers are in yellow, Beach Sunflowers (Helianthus debilis); peach spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea); Juba Bush (Iresine diffusa) is in the background in fluffy, beige glory.

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Both in red, a couple of sprigs of China Hat (Holmskioldia sanguinea) and Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformus) amp up the warm colors in the vase.

I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying some cozy winter fun. To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden.

Six on Saturday – Winter Gardening Adventures in South Florida

I have recovered from my SOS slump and got it together to take some photos of South Florida winter gardening fun. To see more potential examples of winter gardening fun, visit Jim at GardenRuminations.

I had a little surprise encounter while picking Rangpur limes. This is a corn snake, non venomous and a good snake to have in the garden. They eat rats and other things you don’t want around. Unfortunately, this one is a very similar color to the fruit. They usually don’t bite, unless, say you try to pick them. Fortunately, I realized what it was before I tried to pick it!

The Rangpur limes are having a good year. We have had Rangpur pie, chicken marinated with garlic, black pepper and fresh oregano and limeade. I am going to channel my Southern old lady and make some Lime Sour bar cookies (I had to find the biscuit pan first). I have frozen juice and zest for pies, given limes to friends and neighbors and still have a few left on the tree. I stopped picking them before I almost picked the corn snake.

More of the weird and wonderful in my garden. This is a Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea) seedling seeking ground from the top of a Sabal Palm. The fruit from the Strangler Fig is left by wild life in the crown of the palm. It sprouts and eventually sends a tree back down to the ground. The tree roots and grows up around the palm and “strangles” it. Very Harry Potter.

Flowers of the China Hat (Holmskioldia sanguinea) sometimes called Chinaman’s Hat. These are native to the Himalayas, seems strange to me they grow here.

This is a Mona Lavendar Plectranthus. These are fairly common around here, generally used as annuals. I use them in containers. They last a year or two and are very hardy. This container has Licorice plant (Helichhrysum petiolare), a charteuse coleus, and Starry Night Petunias.

The container next to the Mona Lavendar is planted with Wishbone flowers (Torenia fournieri). I am not sure which named variety this is – it is my first time trying these. So far, so good. I am enjoying the color.

There, slacking off did not happen this week. I am wishing everyone good gardening surprises. No snakes in the lime tree.

In a Vase on Monday – Celebrating New Beginnings

My vase this week was created to celebrate new beginnings in 2025. My latest batch of zinnias is finally flowering and providing some much needed color in my garden. South Florida has been unusually rainy and overcast for the past week. The sun-starved Floridians are getting restless. I have included a amethyst and clear quartz crystal for healing and positive energy.

The happy color hunt started with the zinnia discovery. I must have planted some Green Envy seed – because there it is! I rooted around in the garden, dodging rain showers and found that the Tropical Red Salvia had gained new life from all the rain. I plucked a few other happy rain-sated flowers from the garden and concocted my vase.

The close up:

In the back, dark and ferny, are sprigs of Copper Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). The purple flowers are ‘Mona’ Lavendar Plectranthus. The pink stars are Heirloom Pentas (Penta lanceolata). Leaves in the foreground are from Sweet Begonia (Begonia odorata). The tubular orange flowers are Firebush (Hamelia patens). The coral and white spikes are Tropical Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea). The vase is a crystal rose bowl that belonged to my mother.

That’s all from less than sunny South Florida. I’m wishing everyone a happy, healthy and colorful 2025!

To see more vases, visit Cathy at RamblingintheGarden.

Six on Saturday – Solstice Colors

Despite living in South Florida for a decade, I am still surprised by what grows where and flowers when. Today is no exception. Flowers on tomatoes and zinnias on the Winter Solstice still bend my mind. I do love the clear light this time of year. The tilt of the earth softens the strength of the sun. This effect renders nicely in photos.

It is Saturday and I have been slacking off on my SOS posts, but am back. To see other solstice posts, visit Jim at GardenRuminations.

The cactus zinnias just started to flower. I planted these in the ground rather than pots and will be interested in how they fare. So far, so good.

There seem to be several of these. I am wondering if I planted a batch of Envy zinnias. The rain washed away the labels..

Heirloom Pentas (Penta lanceolata). These are big Pentas – they can reach four feet. I have not seen these anywhere else. Sold here for butterfly gardens.

First flowers on the cherry tomatoes. It seems to take much longer this time of year to get fruit.

Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosa) in full color. These are my favorites from my garden further north. I am surprised I have managed to get it to grow here. A very pampered pot on my front porch. Doused twice daily with dog bowl water.

Rangpur limes nearing ripeness. I baked a pie this week. Ginger snap crust with toasted coconut and Rangpur lime filling. It is gone.

Happy Holidays to all and Cheers to longer days.

Thanks to Jim for hosting.

In a Vase on Monday – A Little Tropical

Maybe I should call this Big Tropical! It is too big for the house, so I left it on the porch.

At least once a year I attempt to arrange the Blanchetiana Bromeliad flowers. These are the red and yellow things that look like crab claws in the vase. The flowers are 4 or 5 feet tall this year and last forever. I think they started blooming in June. I sometimes make Christmas wreaths with the flowers.

We are enjoying a spell of ‘why people come to South Florida in winter’ weather. It makes for great gardening, but the winter flowers aren’t quite going yet to cut a bouquet. So cutting crab claws in the yard seemed like a good idea. Here are the close ups:

The crab claws, in red and yellow, are Aechmea blanchetiana Bromeliad flowers; in yellow, Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans); in red, Nodding Hibiscus (Malvaviscus arboreum). Foliage is a White Bird of Paradise leaf (Strelitzia nicolai), a Cabbage Palm (Palmetto sabal) frond and a leaf from a Split Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron selloum)

Here is the flower of a Lemonade Blanchetiana Bromeliad. The one in the vase is from the red version, Red Raspberry. The foliage on that one is red.

That’s all from my garden this Monday. Thanks to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.

Six on Saturday – Winter Color

I am joining SOS sharing my new winter flowers and vegetables. The cool season in Florida is the best time of year for gardening. Late in the year I plant vegetables and update annual flowers in my containers. I am trying some new flowers this winter. Gardening is a constant experiment for me.

To tour other winter gardens visit Jim at GardenRuminations.

I think these are Splash Dance Violet Vogue petunias. I did not realize how many different types of the dark spotted petunias there are and recycled the tag. I also did not realize petunias are not toxic to dogs but Callibrachoa is. Sure enough, I left the Callibrachoa out of the dog reach and later observed him trying to take a bite out of the petunias! Details.

The new Callibrachoa the dog did not get to try. I have varying luck with these. They seem to look great for a short period of time and then poof! no more.

This is a new variety of Begonia called Big Pink (Begonia x benariensis). They are said to thrive in shade or sun and can grow up to 28″ tall, which seems unlikely. Has anyone tried them? Below is Big White with Fireball Neoregelia Bromeliads in a container.

The Cherry Tomato and Zinnia seedlings (in bud!) are more than ready to be planted. I am waiting until tomorrow as warmer weather returns next week.

My first Cuban or Catalina Avocado was a bust. It fell off the tree before it was big enough, there is usually twice as much fruit around the seed. I gifted the seed to a friend – in ten years or so, she might have an avocado. I am hoping for some Christmas 2025.

I am getting back in the garden this sunny Saturday morning. It is 67 degrees F/19 C, good gardening weather.

Happy December to all!

In a Vase on Monday – Shrimp and Serendipity

My garden never fails to surprise me. This week it was a beautiful display of deep red flowers from a Red Shrimp Plant. This plant is one of those I forget completely about until it flowers and then wish I had more. I have this thought every year and have yet to propagate any. Maybe it is time.

A few more serendipitous finds allowed me to complete the vase.

The Red Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana) in all its glory. The fluffy grasses behind are Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris). The Muhly Grass has reseeded here and there in the garden. I would have never planted it where it landed, but have come to enjoy the randomness of the placement. It also has the benefit of thriving in the driest, sandiest part of the garden.

White Vinca (Vinca rosea) comes up in the oddest places. I have never planted any, yet here it is. Again thriving in the driest part of the garden. The sticks in the vase are from some native grape vines I cut down long ago and never quite made it into a bag to be taken to the curb. I like sticks in a vase and never realized it works better if they are good and dead. These were nice and crispy and easily trimmed into a shape that complemented the vase.

The vase is a stoneware ‘pineapple’ found on a long ago Hawaiian vacation.

Now I am hoping to find a serendipitous dinner prepared in the freezer! It’s possible.

Thanks to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden for hosting. Follow the link to see more vases.

In a Vase on Monday – A Tropical Thank You

In celebration of In a Vase on Monday’s Eleventh!! Anniversary. I would like to extend a warm, tropical, virtual Thank You card to Cathy at RamblingintheGarden for hosting this lovely garden meme for all these years. I enjoy the weekly chat with gardeners around the world and have learned quite a bit about what grows where and beautiful new plant possibilities for my garden. It may seem counterintuitive; but I have found many plants that grow in summer in the UK do well in my South Florida garden in winter and I love making vases with them! Follow the link to see more vases celebrating eleven years of IAVOM.

The Close Ups:

The Eleven is made from Blanchetiana Bromeliad (Aechmea blanchetiana) foliage that I drew an eleven on with a Sharpie and trimmed off the excess. Certainly a first in my house, drawing on foliage. Grey rosette is Graptosedum succulent; purple and silver striped foliage is Wandering Jew (Transcandentia zebrina); white flowers are Bridal Bouquet Frangipani (Plumeria pudica).

Purple and pink flower is a “Candy’ Portea Bromeliad. Ferns are native Boston Fern (Nepholepis exaltata).

Thanks again to Cathy and Cheers to all from South Florida.